Saturday, April 29, 2006

Animal Gold Jewellery

Animal gold jewellery is very popular and one can get gold jewellery for just about any animal or insect including dog, cat, horse, dinosaur, bee, ladybug, snail, fly, hippopotamus, dragonfly and even pigs as shown on the left.

Any of these animal gold jewellery pieces are a matter of taste of course and one does not have to be an animal lover to wear animal jewellery.

Sometimes such jewellery can be an excellent accessory or good to make a particular fashion statement. Animals are often used in gold charms for gold charm bracelets.

When you buy and use animal gold jewellery it is good to keep in mind the following points:

Always ensure you buy gold jewellery from a trustworthy dealer or jeweller. It is probably not a good idea to go for ‘discount’ jewellery as you are sure to get what you pay for.

Ensure you know what the gold carat is and that it is solid gold and not plate. Plated gold, in these price ranges, tends to be very thin and wears away easily.

Compare the actual piece with the description and check that it is genuine with the dealer or jeweller.

If possible wear the clothes you intend the animal gold jewellery to go with so you can see how they look together. There is nothing worse than getting a piece of jewellery, intended to be worn with a particular suit or dress, home and then find it does not really match.

Keeping your gold jewellery clean is a must. Jewellery worn most of the day accumulates impurities on the surface. Sprays, perfumes, body perspiration and other chemicals are often used on a daily basis. Many can be harmful to gold or the clasps and settings. A good clean in warm soapy water then well rinsed and dried is all you need. Never use bleach. It oxidizes the gold and turns it black.

Store your gold jewellery in separate containers. Gold mixed with gems such as diamonds is unwise as they will scratch your gold and that will not improve or enhance your gold piece.

Provided you keep the guidelines above in mind there is no reason why you should not have and enjoy a treasured animal gold jewellery piece for many years.